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7:05AM | March 3, 2008 | comments: 0

Fighting Diabetes With Tea, News For Snorers & Skincare Help

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7:00am Segment Info:
Great news for tea drinkers! It may help prevent diabetes.

According to a new study black tea contains certain chemicals that mimick the action of insulin, which can help regulate blood sugar levels. Of course, drinking tea should not be considered a "treatment" for diabetes, but it certainly can't hurt. Researchers say more research is needed. The challenge is to see if this can lead to new treatments for diabetes.

In other news, there's a new report about snoring.

GET THE REST OF THE INFO AFTER THE JUMP

For years doctors have known that snoring can increase your risk of heart attack and stroke.

And now there's even more evidence of that connection - a new study of more than 12,000 people found that loud snorers had a 34% increased risk of having a heart attack, and a 67% greater chance of suffering a stroke. Interestingly people who snore quietly had no increase in their risk. Researchers say the loud snoring with breathing pauses known as sleep apnea could help identify people at risk.

How common is snoring?

About 40% of men and 24 percent of women are regular snorers. Being overweight increases the likelihood that you'll snore. Snoring is the result of vibration of your soft palate, your uvula, or both against the back of the throat or tongue. While it may sound funny, it's actually a clear sign that your airway is partially blocked. That's why it's so dangerous. How loud someone snores depends on the amount of air passing through the airway and the speed of the vibration. There is some good news though - for men, it seems the tendency to snore declines once they get past the age of 70.

8:00am Segment Info:
1. Vincent from Bronx, NY asks: I've heard that drinking cold water can slow down digestion. Is that true?

Vincent, that's completely false. It comes from the idea that cold water causes fats to solidify in the body making them more difficult to digest. But it's simply not true. There's simply no medical evidence that back s that theory up, but think about it, once the food you eat hits your stomach your core body temperature warms everything up just fine easing digestion along.

2. Samantha from Queens, NY asks: Is there any way possible to get rid of dark spots left behind from pimples?

Samantha, the dark spots you're talking about are the results of increased pigment in the skin that comes from the infection of the pimple. There are many different ways to treat this. There are a number of topical agents like retin-a... As well as chemical peels. There are so many options. It's best to get this treated by a dermatologist. If you can't afford one there's always makeup to camouflage those spots. Sunscreen can also prevent them from getting worse.

3. Bernard from Queens, NY asks: What's the deal with razor bumps?

Razor bumps are ingrown hairs that curl back under the skin and cause infection. They're more common in people with tight curly hair. To treat it you have to release the hair with a clean needle or you can stop shaving. Lasers can also help. To prevent razor bumps in the first place try shaving after a hot shower so your pores are open. Use a thick shaving gel and shave in the direction of your hairs. A moisturizer after shaving can also help.


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